Chinese International Doctoral Students as Returnees: How Does the Social Capital Earned in the United States Influence Their Job-Seeking Experience in China?

• In Event: Inclusive Education in Asian Context

Abstract

This investigates how social networks earned in the U.S. influence returning doctoral students' access to domestic academic resources and how they mobilize the social capital obtained overseas in their job searches in China. This study identifies the crucial type of social ties valued by Chinese academia, which are those between advisors and colleagues. It also investigates the
advantages and disadvantages of returnees’ social networks on the different periods of their careers. This study finds that Chinese academia places significantly more
emphasis on strong ties with work-related contacts in the job-seeking process. The author suggests the importance of building up strong work-related ties in the process of securing a better job searching outcome.

Author

• Yuejia Wang, University at Buffalo - SUNY